Erica erigena
| Erica erigena | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Erica |
| Species: | E. erigena
|
| Binomial name | |
| Erica erigena | |
Erica erigena, the Irish heath,[1] is a European species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae.
Description
[edit]It is a compact evergreen shrub growing to 75 centimetres (30 inches), with somewhat brittle foliage and deep pink honey-scented flowers in winter and spring.[2][3] The leaves are 4-whorled, measuring 5–8 millimetres (1⁄4–3⁄8 in) in length and turning dark green at maturity.[4]
Originally known as Erica mediterranea, the species was renamed in 1969 by R. Ross. The species name erigena comes from Erin of Ireland as "one applicable to something of Irish origin". E. mediterranea is now more commonly used to refer to E. carnea.[5]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]It is native to Ireland, southwestern France, Spain, Portugal and Tangier. Its appearance in the far west of Ireland, separated from the main Mediterranean populations, suggests a garden escape.[6] It prefers cliffs and heathland.
Cultivation
[edit]In cultivation, it is often seen as groundcover amongst dwarf conifers. Like others of its kind, it is a calcifuge, preferring an open sunny site with well-drained acid soil. Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, of which the following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:[7]
External links
[edit]
Media related to Erica erigena at Wikimedia Commons
References
[edit]- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
- ^ "Great plant picks - Erica erigena". Retrieved 19 June 2013.
- ^ Poland J, Clement EJ. 2020. The Vegetative Key to the British Flora. Second Edition. John Poland, Southampton ISBN 978-0-9560-1442-9
- ^ Brian Proudley; Valerie Proudley (1989). Heathers in Colour (2nd ed.). Blandford Press. p. 140. ISBN 0713714204.
- ^ Foss, Peter J.; Doyle, Gerard J. (1990). "The history of Erica erigena R. Ross, an Irish plant with a disjunct European distribution". Journal of Quaternary Science. 5: 1–16. doi:10.1002/jqs.3390050102.
- ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 33. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Erica erigena 'Irish Dusk'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Erica erigena f. alba 'W.T. Rackliff'". Retrieved 7 June 2020.